Derek Watt has the second-highest average salary among fullbacks in the National Football League. But he is easily the highest-paid fullback in the league based on amount per snap.
That should be easy to compute after Watt, who is in the second year of a three-year, $9.75 million contract, has played just four snaps at fullback in two games, including none in the 26-17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Maybe it's time to start giving rookie Najee Harris a lead blocker after the Steelers have rushed for 114 yards after two games, fewest in the league among teams who have played two games (the Green Bay Packers play tonight). Harris, the team's No.1 pick, has 83 yards on 26 carries.
Watt's average salary of $3.25 million is second only to San Francisco's Kyle Juszczyk ($5.4 million) among NFL fullbacks, according to overthecap.com, a website that tracks players' salaries. But the 49ers use Juszczyk almost as much as a feature back, playing him 41 snaps in their 17-11 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Minnesota's C.J. Ham, who averages $3 million per season, third among fullbacks, has played 36 snaps in two games for the Vikings, who average 122 yards rushing per game.
The Baltimore Ravens, who rushed for 251 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday night, used fullback Patrick Ricard on 48 of their 76 plays. Ricard's average salary is $3.65 million, but that is based partly on being signed in 2019 as a two-way player (he was a backup defensive lineman).
It is understandable the teams who like to deploy a fullback — sometimes a lot — are built differently than the Steelers. But the Steelers are paying Watt a lot of money not to use him.
While they continue to find a way to get their running game going, maybe it's time to use him a little more.
QB consultation
It was apparent Ben Roethlisberger was more annoyed than disappointed the Steelers punted on fourth-and-1 with 8:36 remaining, trailing 23-14. And the reason is because, as an 18-year veteran, he wasn't consulted or afforded the chance to offer his opinion on what he thought the Steelers should do.
"Not when the punt team is running on the field," Roethlisberger said. "I don't have a choice."
It probably bothered Roethlisberger even more Sunday night when Ravens coach John Harbaugh, faced with a fourth-and-1 at his own 43 with 1:05 remaining, shouted to quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field, "Lamar, do you want to go for this?"
His answer was the same as what Roethlisberger's would have been, had he been asked. The Ravens converted the fourth down to run out the clock.
The issue is not that Mike Tomlin's decision was the wrong one. It wasn't. He wanted the defense to get a stop to get the ball back to the offense, and that's what happened. And it's not as though he is obligated to ask his quarterback. He's not.
But whatever slight Roethlisberger felt was likely exacerbated when he saw Jackson, a fourth-year quarterback, being afforded the opportunity to make the decision for the Ravens.
Letting up on the pressure
Derek Carr's 382 passing yards were the most against the Steelers since Tampa Bay's Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 411 yards on Sept. 24, 2018.
But how he attained his most significant yards were a result of something the Steelers have not been doing.
One week after the defense was being trumpeted for getting heavy pressure on Buffalo's Josh Allen with a four-man rush, Carr caught them in a rare blitz on the 61-yard touchdown to receiver Henry Ruggs III that gave the Raiders a 23-14 lead.
And it might have worked if nickel back Tre Norwood didn't hesitate on the blitz when the Steelers rushed six players on third-and-10. But it didn't.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was watching the underneath cross route to tight end Darren Waller and couldn't get back in time to help cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.
"They had [Waller] by himself," Fitzpatrick said. "He ran directly at me, got me to settle my feet. I just can't stop my feet. I got to extend to the middle of the field. That's on me, 110%."
Fire-zone blitzes, once the darling of former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, have all but disappeared from the Steelers defense. That was evident in Buffalo when they rushed five or more players only eight times in 85 defensive snaps, but still managed to sack Allen three times, hit him eight times and pressure him 32 times among Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Melvin Ingram and Alex Highsmith.
